African Violet plant

ABSTRACT

An African Violet known by the cultivar name Boston having strong upright stems carrying intensive pink flowers having frilled edges; compact and vigorous growth habit, and leaves which are cupped to form a flat funnel, with the leaves having serrated edges and light-green centers.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of AfricanViolet plant, botanically known as Saintpaulia ionantha, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name Boston.

The new cultivar, designated during the breeding and selection processas d. 150/1 and 47/78, is a product of a planned breeding program of thepresent inventor. Boston is principally characterized by its veryintensive pink, frilled flowers; compact habit, and leaves which arelight green in the center and upturned at the edges to form a generallyflat funnel, with the leaf edges being serrated. The light green centercharacteristic of the leaves is commonly referred to in the industry asa "girl" type cultivar. These traits in combination were not present inpreviously available commercial cultivars.

The new cultivar was originated from a cross made in a controlledbreeding program in Isselburg, Rhineland, Germany. The female, or seedparent was 79 blue, an unpatented "girl" type cultivar. The male, orpollen parent was 17/75, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,154 andknown by the cultivar name Evelyn.

The new cultivar Boston was discovered and selected as a flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross by me in a controlled environmentin Isselburg, Rhineland, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by leaf cuttings and bydivision of shoots, as performed by me at Isselburg, Rhineland, Germany,has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as hereindisclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are retained throughsuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

The following observations, measurements and values describe plantsgrown in Isselburg, Rhineland, Germany, under greenhouse conditionswhich closely approximate those generally used in commercial practice.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of Boston, which in combination distinguishthis African Violet as a new and distinct cultivar:

(1) Strong, upright flower stems, with up to 10 flowers on each stem.

(2) Very compact habit

(3) Leaves are cupped to generally funnel shaped form with light greencenters

(4) Leaf edges are serrated

(5) The underside of the leaf is reddish-green between the light greenveins

(6) Very intense pink flower color, with the flowers having frilledeges.

(7) Vigorous growth habit

The accompanying photographic drawing shows a typical specimen plant ofthe new cultivar. The colors appearing in the photograph are as true aspossible with color illustrations of this type.

In the following description, color references are made to the RoyalHorticultural Society (RHS) color chart, except for flower color, whichis based on the Horticultural Colour Chart, Wilson (HCC), or wheregeneral color terms of ordinary significant are used.

Botanical classification: Saintpaulia ionantha, Ramat. cv Boston.

Parentage:

Male parent.--7/75, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,154.

Female parent.--79 blue, "girl" type.

Propagation: The new cultivar holds its distinguishing characteristicsthrough successive propagations by leaf cuttings and by division ofshoots.

Plant: From 9 cm to 10 cm tall when grown in pots, and approximately 20cm in diameter when fully grown.

Leaves:

General form.--Oval-round.

Diameter.--55-65 mm.

Texture.--Soft-hairy.

Aspect.--Sides upturned to form a flat funnel.

Veins.--Well pronounced, light green in color.

Color (upperside).--147 A.

Color (underside).--145 D and 186 C.

Petiole.--Red-brownish.

Flowers:

Buds.--Ball-shaped, 7-8 mm in diameter.

Sepals.--Five, spear-shaped.

Color.--Brown-reddish.

Calyx.--Basifixed.

Aspect.--Funnel-shaped.

Peduncle.--Dark brown-reddish.

Individual Flowers:

Size.--48 mm in total flower diameter.

Color (upperside).--629/1, (HCC).

Color (underside).--Slightly lighter than 629/1 (HCC).

Borne.--Up to 9 flowers per stem.

Shape.--Five petals; two small, three large.

Corolla.--All petals are frilled, the two small petals being 19 mm longand 19 mm wide and the three large petals being 24 mm long and 23 mmwide.

Arrangement: The plant has 8-10 flower stems, each stem carrying up to 9flowers.

Flowering time: 6-7 weeks after potting, the first flowers appear; 3weeks later the plant is in full flower.

Reproductive organs:

Stamens.--Two.

Anthers.--Four, color 7-B.

Arrangements.--Basifixed.

Filaments.--Flat-oval, yellow-green to light pink in color.

Styles.--Pink

Pollen color.--7-C

Roots.--Young roots are white; when older turning brownish.

Disease resistance.--Good.

General Observations: Boston is a compact vigorous grower. The leavesare round to oval and flat funnel-shaped with light green centers. Theedges are serrated and slightly waved, and thicker than normal forviolet leaves. The flower stems are very strong and straight. Thepetiole has on the upperside toward the leaf a groove and isreddish-brown in color. The flowers have frilled edges and intensivepink color.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of African Violet, as describedand illustrated, known by the cultivar name Boston and characterized bythe combined features of strong upright stems carrying intensive pinkflowers having frilled edges; compact and vigorous growth habit, and byits leaves which are cupped to form a flat funnel, with the leaveshaving serrated edges and light green centers.